PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

Half a day later, in the Supreme Temple of the Holy Land, Mariejois.

The atmosphere was heavy and grim. Among the Five Elders, Isse, Yamamoto, and Zephara stood in silence, their expressions darker than storm clouds.

Before them knelt a trembling Spandine, head buried as deep as he could into the floor, desperate to vanish from their sight.

Yamamoto snarled, his voice booming like thunder.

"Spandine, you still have the gall to return?! If not for your family's long-standing loyalty to us, I would have crushed you like an insect the moment you walked in!"

"We ordered you to fracture the Navy Headquarters, to weaken them so we could tighten our control over the Marines! But now you're telling me Zephyr didn't defect—and to make it worse, the Warlord we appointed is lying broken on a stretcher? Are you joking?!"

His furious roar echoed across the grand hall, shaking the columns.

Spandine's body went rigid. He dared not even utter a sound.

In this moment, all he could hope for was that someone might intervene, speak on his behalf, and spare him further wrath.

"Enough, Yamamoto," said Zephara, the tallest among them, dressed in a crisp black suit, his voice calm but grave. "This isn't entirely Spandine's fault. If there's blame, it's that we underestimated that brat."

"Allowing him to ascend to the position of the Fourth Admiral was meant to stir up conflict among the Marine brass, to drain their power and help us reassert dominance. But clearly, we underestimated his methods."

"Not only has he gained a firm foothold within Marine Headquarters, but he's also built considerable reputation. From what we hear, there's not a single voice questioning his title anymore."

"It seems we've made a grievous miscalculation."

The faces of Yamamoto and the others grew increasingly sullen.

With the rise of the three Admirals and the support of seasoned veterans, the power of the Navy Headquarters had swelled to dangerous levels.

The Five Elders, fearing they might lose their grip on the Marines, had devised this internal sabotage to erode their strength from within.

But anything that involved Luo Yu had a tendency to spiral completely out of control—like a wild horse snapping its reins, it was now beyond even their reach.

"Enough," said Isse, leaning heavily on his cane. "Things have reached this point. Sitting here arguing won't solve anything."

"Marine Headquarters just sent word—Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, has offered to trade Fire Fist Ace in exchange for a Warlord position. And the one tasked with handling this matter... is none other than the new Admiral."

"He's already disrupted one of our plans. Let's see if he manages to return safely this time."

"Send the word to Urariti. The time has come. Begin the harvest."

"Yes, my lord! I'll see to it at once!" Spandine replied eagerly, as if he'd just been granted a royal pardon, then scurried out like a whipped dog.

Elsewhere, on the edge of the Calm Belt, a remote island—

Thousands of spear-wielding natives charged forward, converging on a massive figure that loomed like a mountain.

Armor clanked loudly as they sprinted forward, their war cries piercing the air.

But in the blink of an eye—before they even reached their target—the towering mammoth let out a thunderous roar and swung around violently.

With earth-shaking might, it barreled straight into the oncoming mob.

BOOM!

Hundreds of natives were sent flying like rag dolls.

The sheer force of the charge was monstrous. Bodies burst apart midair like popped balloons.

Blood misted the air. Severed limbs and chunks of flesh rained down like gore-filled confetti.

The mammoth's momentum didn't slow—it plowed straight into a towering rocky cliff behind them.

RUMBLE!

The cliff exploded into rubble.

The thunderous tremor shook the entire island for a full thirty seconds before finally dying down.

"Hmph. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. You lot can't even scratch my hide," the creature snarled.

Then it turned—a monstrous beast shifting swiftly back into human form, glaring furiously with bloodshot eyes.

"Urariti! How much longer are you going to make me wait?! I'm starting to itch to kill you too!"

The one he addressed stepped forward from among a crowd of stunned pirates, her figure graceful, her smile sultry and composed.

"Hehe, no need to be angry, Lord Jack. I just received word about our target's route."

"He's headed for the Chelseas Sea. Only a few days' journey from here."

"Get ready... and prepare yourself for the look on his face when he realizes what kind of nightmare he's walked into."

"Chelseas Sea?" Jack's eyes narrowed. His massive form shrank back to human size. Wielding his giant scythe-shaped blades, he brought them crashing down onto a nearby boulder, shattering it with a roar.

"Good. Excellent! I've waited long enough. Let's hope he gives me some kind of fight."

"All ships—set sail!"

"I want to surprise the three elders before they hear anything about Saul!"

At his command, the gathered pirates turned and scrambled aboard their ships, unfurling sails and setting off with haste.

Watching them go, Urariti's seductive smile widened.

She glanced at the photo in her hand—a Marine portrait of Luo Yu.

"What a handsome little officer... I wonder what his face will look like... in despair."

Three Days Later — Chelseas Sea

A Marine battleship surged through the waves.

On deck, Luo Yu stretched lazily and opened his mental system space.

The points that had been drained dry were now refilled—thanks to the Weevil mission—up to a whopping 15 million Berries.

Knowing this stingy system, Luo Yu was certain it wouldn't let him enjoy a surplus for long. A tempting offer was surely on its way.

But with just another day or two until he finished his first month on the job and earned a long-awaited monthly salary, he held himself back.

Still, counting the days on his fingers made the wait feel oddly torturous.

"Admiral Luo Yu," said Ain, hurrying up behind him, "Blackbeard still hasn't specified an exact rendezvous point. We're heading to S.U. Island for now to rest and resupply, but... something strange has come up."

Luo Yu raised an eyebrow, took a swig of wine, and chuckled.

"Strange? Good. The stranger the situation, the higher the bonus. I've got free time anyway."

Ain was dumbfounded.

Looking at his eager expression, all her initial worries vanished without a trace.

Just what kind of insane brain did this man have?

Anyone else tasked with handling a potential Four Emperors-level incident would be worried sick over what might go wrong.

But Luo Yu... he seemed to enjoy chaos.

He really was one of a kind.